Questions about our Wedding Photography?

We get lots of questions about our Wedding photography. Here are answers to quite a few of them.

If your question isn't answered here, make sure you ask us so that we can get you the information you need to make your decision.

Common Wedding Questions:

• What is your "style" of wedding photography?
• What are your packages and prices?
• How much experience do you have photographing weddings?
• How many photographers will be attending my wedding?
• Will the assistant be photographing as well?
• We would really like more than one photographer, is that possible?
• What kind of information do you need before the wedding day?
• I don't want to see the groom prior to the ceremony - do you make us do that?
• Do you take formal pictures?
• Do pose or re-enact photographs of special moments of the day?
• Can we meet with you before the wedding day?
• Would you travel abroad for a wedding?
• Have you ever photographed a beach wedding?
• How will we view our wedding proofs?
• Do you photograph digitally or with film?
• Why digital?
• I've heard that digital is lower quality than film. Is that true?
• What kind of cameras do you use?
• Do you photograph in RAW or JPG?
• Can we get a copy of the digital files of our images?
• Do we get the copyright to the images?
• What if we do not want you to use our images for advertising?
• We are going to have children at our wedding, is that a problem?
• Will you need a meal during the wedding?

What is your "style" of wedding photography?

Our view on photographing a wedding is very much in line with our idea of photographing everything - look for real moments, look for real emotion and capture the best images we possibly can.

There are a lot of words being tossed about in the wedding photography scene at the moment, such as 'photojournalistic' or 'reportage' or 'candid' or 'unobtrusive' or even 'contemporary traditional'.

Frankly, we don't know what the heck we are in terms of labels. We want unscripted moments to be real, emotional and beautiful. We want images that are revealing and storytelling. But we also want want posed portraits or group pictures to be beautiful and elegant, fun and energetic.

We don't ask people to do things over again for the camera - we look for real moments. However, also will not disdain an impromptu group picture and we're not above making suggestions during the day in regards to how to go about something so that we can photograph it well (for instance, if the wedding party is going to walk to a location for portraits, we may make a suggestion of what route to take so that we can photograph along the way).

So, you could say we're flexible. We want you to be happy and while we wouldn't want to photograph a wedding of just posed group pictures, we certainly recognize the importance of those images and are happy to take them.

The best way to get a feel for our photography is to look at it.

What are your packages and prices?

All of our wedding packages are detailed on the site here - follow this link for more information

How much experience do you have photographing weddings?

Both Micheal and Jason photographed their first weddings more than 15 years ago. Both of them also worked with an established wedding photographer in Sacramento in the 1990s prior to Micheal starting the Hall's own studio in 2001.

How many photographers will be attending my wedding?

When you hire our studio, Micheal will be photographing your wedding as a primary photographer. However, it is not uncommon for Micheal to bring an assistant to your wedding day. So you should expect at least two representatives from our studio at your wedding.

If you would like more than one photographer, we do offer that as an option.

Will the assistant be photographing as well?

Not in any primary or crucial capacity. There may be points during the day where the assistant will photograph, but the primary purpose of the assistant is not as a photographer, but to assist the photographer in handling equipment, setting up lights or handling reflectors, helping to make sure that family and friends are available for family portraits, etc. This role is a very important one and can help make your wedding day photography experience a great one and allow the photographer to concentrate on their task much more effectively.

We would really like more than one photographer, is that possible?

Absolutely. Our most common coverage involves both Micheal and Jason as photographers on the day of the wedding. The additional photographer allows a second perspective which can prove invaluable in telling the story of the day. We highly recommend this as a means of more thoroughly documenting your wedding day.

Here are some examples of Micheal & Jason photographing the same moment as a team to get different viewpoints.

These images are from a recent wedding in Berkely. By having two photographers photographing the ceremony, we were able to capture moments from different viewpoints to get a more comprehensive story.

In the following instance, we photographed the Bride and Groom seeing each other for the first time prior to the ceremony. They set aside a few minutes to enjoy being with each other and asked us to be there as well. Jason positioned himself with a wideangle lens to get an overall view, while Micheal photographed the Bride coming down a walkway to see her soon-to-be husband for the first time that day.

What kind of information do you need before the wedding day?

As much information as you can give us regarding your wedding plans is always useful.

Aside from the obvious things such as the where and when ...

• Any special plans in regards to getting ready - are you wearing anything special or borrowed from a particular family member? Any heirloom jewels or special pendant?
• Any special plans regarding transportation to the church or ceremony? A horse and carriage? A trolleycar?
• Anything significant about the ceremony itself - are you planning anything in particular to honor parents or other attendees? Will any special friends or relatives be speaking during the ceremony?
• Are there any special attendees - distant relatives or friends you want to be sure to get images of?
• What wedding traditions will you be observing at the reception? (First Dance? Cake Cutting? Boquet Toss? Garter?)
• Is there anything else you can think of? As many details and as much information as you can supply regarding your plans will only help us make sure we get better images for you.

I don't want to see the groom prior to the ceremony - do you make us do that?

No! I have heard from some couples that they've been told they must see each other prior to the ceremony. We never require this. If you do not want to see each other prior to the ceremony, then don't.

However, it is our responsibility to inform you if we think there will be a difficulty in taking some of the photographs you would like based on time of day, time of ceremony, etc. if you do not see each other prior to the ceremony.

In cases such as these, we can let you know and the decision is yours. We love the looks and smiles of a couple seeing each other for the first time that day as the ceremony begins.

But there is something of a new wedding tradition being formed - at least we are seeing it planned more and more. That is a few minutes of time for the bride and groom to see each other prior to the ceremony by THEMSELVES and enjoy their time together in peace and private ... and with the photographer. :) No family milling around, no other distractions, just a romantic prelude to the ceremony and festivities that will follow.

We are seeing this more and more and find it is very romantic and fun to photograph and does not detract from the experience of the ceremony at all.

Do you take formal pictures?

Of course! Weddings are a wonderful occassion for portraits. Rarely do so many friends and family take such time to look their best. Mix in the excitement and love of a wedding day, and the timing couldn't be better for great portraits.

Typically speaking, if the wedding couple does not wish to see each other prior to the ceremony, we will photograph in a sequence something like this:

• Arrive - photograph overall location of preparations, look for details.
• Photograph Bride getting ready.
• Photograph Groom getting ready.
• Photograph Bridal Portraits.
• Photograph Bride & Bridal party.
• Photograph Bride & Family.
• Photograph Groom Portraits.
• Photograph Groom & Groomsmen.
• Photograph Groom & Family.

What this does is allow us to do many of the family portraits prior to the ceremony so that we don't have to spend time doing them after the ceremony when everyone wants to talk to the newly married couple or you just want to get to the reception.

After the ceremony, we usually like photograph along these lines:

• Photograph the Bride, Groom & Wedding Party
• Photograph the Bride, Groom & Bride's Family
• Photograph the Bride, Groom & Grooms Family
• Any Special Photography Requests for pictures with Bride & Groom
• Bride & Groom Portrait Session.

We try to get the wedding party & family pictures done in around 15 minutes or so. The amount of time we spend on Bride & Groom portraits is up to you and any inspiration of the moment. It could be as little as 10 - 15 minutes and could be as much as an hour - that's completely up to you, the opportunities the location offers and how you've scheduled your reception. We're very flexible that way.

Do pose or re-enact photographs of special moments of the day?

As we noted above, we are happy to spend as much time as you would like with the wedding couple and wedding party, and just as happy to set aside time to produce nice family portraits during the wedding day.

However, outside of those times, we do not pose photographs. You will not have us asking you to stop and smile at the camera during your first dance or while you are cutting your wedding cake. Our goal is to document the emotion of the day through candid, storytelling photographs. We want you to "forget we are there" on the day of the wedding and simply enjoy the experience of being married. To that end, we interfere as little as possible. We love beautifully posed portraits as well as spontaneous, unposed, honestly emotional images and do our best to provide both.

Can we meet with you before the wedding day?

Of course! We encourage it and usually require it. If you live out of town and will be traveling to your ceremony here, or are having a destination wedding and do not live in the Sacramento area, this can be challenging, but we definitely recommend meeting in person prior to the wedding day. If that is not possible, at minimum a phone conference or possibly a webcam chat could be arranged.

Would you travel abroad for a wedding?

Definitely! Micheal lived in Paris, France for a time in his early 20's, loved his time in Europe and gets back whenever he can. He was recently there for a volleyball tournament and had the opportunity to spend some time in Venice, Italy, Maribor, Slovenia and Vienna, Austria. Additionally, Micheal spent time in Hawaii photographing a volleyball tournament and took the opportunity to photograph Senior portraits on Waikiki Beach for several young ladies our studio has been photographing from their early teens.

We have yet to travel that extensively for a wedding, however we travel all over the US throughout the early portion of each year, organizing, staffing and photographing tournaments across the continental US while bringing all of the equipment needed to setup 50 web based ordering systems with us. So the task of organizing a trip to photograph an event is one that we are very familiar with!

A travel route from a recent season:

We love both travel and photography - Micheal's passport is up to date and he is ready to pack his bags!

Have you ever photographed a beach wedding?

We've photographed no weddings ON the beach, but very near the beach. Howeever, we have photographed many portraits on the beach, so we are familiar with the challenges of working there.

How will we view our wedding proofs?

Call us old fashioned, but we like to provide printed proofs. These proofs are included as a part of each of our wedding coverages and are yours to keep. We have tried web-only proofing and thumbnail proof books in the past, but prefer to deliver a boxed set of 4x6 proofs. The proofs are bordered and include our contact information and image name, making it very easy to order a print if you desire, or find your image files on the high resolution disk provided.

We feel this makes viewing the images easier and much more enjoyable. It's a lot of fun to spill a collection of prints onto the table top and go through them. However, for the computer-inclined, we do also provide a web based gallery of the proofs on a CD or DVD which you receive with your proofs.

Do you photograph digitally or with film?

Our studio converted fully to digital capture at the beginning of 2002. Previous to this, Micheal first started working with digital files as a teenager in 1990 scanning photographs and creating digital art as 3D renderings. In that time, we've amassed a great deal of experience in the digital realm.

Why digital?

We find that digital allows for far more flexibility when working with images. It is much, much easier and more effective to work with a collection of files than to work with boxes or folders of negatives. It is far easier to prepare a digital file for printing, than to cut, card and prepare your sole analog original (the negative) for printing and then to give up all control to the lab for printing and finishing. Sending the negative to the lab risks damage in transit or at the lab.

Digital allows for duplicate masters - more than one copy of a digital can be made which PERFECTLY matches the original file. This makes safely archiving and backing up the images much simpler. With film, you have one copy of the original image.

Digital has also allowed us to bring into the studio all creative considerations regarding the images. Previously, when sending negatives, the lab printed as they thought best, or we had to write detailed custom instructions which were often costly to have followed. High resolution digital files allow us to provide a much higher quality product than we have ever been able to in the past. With digital, if we would like to experiment with different interpretations of an image, we can do so with no risk to the original image whatsoever.

I've heard that digital is lower quality than film. Is that true?

When it comes to wedding and portrait photography, the only people we know of that are still trying to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt regarding digital capture are those that have not yet embraced it. In our studio, we have decades of combined experience handling film and making custom prints in our own darkrooms. We have absolutely no interest in returning to that way of working. We have found the benefits of digital capture to so far outweigh film capture that we would not hesitate to decline any assignment in which it was dictated that we must use film.

There are a lot of factors that go into determining the final quality of an image. Categorizing photographs solely by "film" or "digital" and then assuming the quality of the images by that definition will not lead you to a satisfactory answer. Since switching completely to digital capture, we have spent thousands of hours using and learning the techniques which produce the best quality images for our particular application. We can find absolutely nothing to require the use of film in our business. Digital capture has opened doors of creativity and improved the quality of our imagery to such a degree that it would be a disservice for us to use anything else.

Ultimately, the results are easy to see: every single image on both of our portrait/wedding and volleyball websites was captured digitally. Our goal is to create the best possible images, and digital capture allows us to do that.

What kind of cameras do you use?

We currently photograph exclusively with Canon professional digital camera systems. Specifically the 1D Mark III and the 1Ds Mark III. These cameras are extremely well suited to our needs and produce stunning files.

Do you photograph in RAW or JPG?

We photograph everything as RAW files and process from those for print/albums. We find that this yields the best workflow and results and have been photographing this way since 2003.

Can we get a copy of the digital files of our images?

Yes. Each of our packages comes with a set of files from the wedding. These images are typically exposure, color/contrast, adjusted, with some edge burning and cropping applied to make them very close to a fully adjusted, finished image. These are high resolution JPG images processed from the RAW files and will produce excellent prints up to 8x12 inches.

Do we get the copyright to the images?

No. What you receive is a release which allows you to print these images for personal, non-commercial use. Our studio retains the copyright and the right to use any images we photograph for instructional purposes and in our print, mail or internet advertising.

What if we do not want you to use our images for advertising?

This is negotiable. We typically expect to be able to use images for advertising to share out ability as photographers and expand our business. If this is something you object to, talk to us about it.

We are going to have children at our wedding, is that a problem?

Not at all - we love children and they add a great deal of spice to a wedding. Our recommendation to you is to expect to be surprised. Expect things to not go as planned in regards to including children and be willing for anything to happen. Children - especially very young ones - can react unexpectedly to all of the attention and will not always "perform" as desired.

A great idea we learned from a bride is to plan some activities during the reception just for the children. She set up a piñata for the children and had other activities so that they, too, could enjoy themselves.

Do you require a meal during the wedding?

Weddings require a great deal of energy and concentration. Our coverages are also usually 8-10 hours long. Having a meal during the reception, when everyone else is eating is a very good idea so that we can keep our focus on the photography and not on the distractions of a hungry body. If no meal is provided during the reception, we will be required to leave the premises of the reception to get a meal. It is much more effective to eat with the guests. However, we leave the decision up to you, but we need to know in advance so that we can plan effectively.

Our preference is to eat with the guests (as a part of the first group of people to be served). This is not out of any desire for special treatment, but out of practicality. If we can eat first/early, then we are more quickly available to photograph anything that happens during the meal.